Page 31 of Lie in Wait

“Going downstairs to work on the decorations would help. We haven’t even started on the escape room yet.”

“You haven’t? That’s going to take hours.” He glanced at the time. It was already later than he thought. “We’d better order in for dinner tonight.”

“For sure.” Ariana gave him a quick kiss before hurrying out of the room.

Damon found Bella still in the room with the costumes.

She had at least a dozen of them on the bed, and she held up a corn on the cob outfit, looking deep in thought. “There are too many to choose from.”

“Rita doesn’t want you coming to the party?”

Bella scowled and dropped the costume onto the bed. “You aren’t taking her side, are you?”

“I’m not your parent.”

She visibly relaxed. “Rita thinks she is.”

“I don’t want to get in the middle of a family dispute, but I’m not going to stop an adult from making her own decision. If you want help finding something that will hide your identity, I’d be happy to give you ideas. Something like the one you just had would work because it’s so wide, it’ll hide your shape. But a princess like we talked about earlier could give you away to someone looking for you.”

Bella eyed him with suspicion. “You’d actually help me hide from my sister?”

“I’m thinking more along the lines of your parents.”

She picked up the corn on the cob outfit again. “You think this one would do the trick?”

“If we can find the part that goes over your head. All anyone would see of you would be your arms and legs, and we can find some baggy clothes to wear underneath.”

“Nobody’d even be able to tell if I was a guy or a girl.”

“Exactly.”

Her eyes lit up. “I love it! And it’s such a fun idea.”

Damon chuckled. “Nobody has ever accused Ari of having a boring costume. In fact, I’m pretty sure she was born wearing one.”

Bella giggled and held the corn on the cob outfit in front of her again. “You know where the top part is?”

He pulled out the boxes from the closet. “I saw it in one of these last year.”

She opened one. “Let’s get to work! Now Rita will never have to know I’m even there tomorrow night.”

Damon nodded, but he hoped Ariana would be able to convince Rita that giving her sister a choice was the best option.

The last thing they needed was a full-on family feud the next night.

ChapterSixteen

Rita threw the last of the clothes into the dryer, slammed the door, then set the timer. She’d spent the last hour cleaning and fuming. How dare her friends make those accusations? She wasnothinglike her parents. In fact, she was trying to protect her sisterfromthem.

The doorbell camera chimed.

Knock, knock!

Rita wiped sweat from her forehead. That better be her sister, having come to her senses. Surely Bella had to see that Rita was only trying to keep her safe.

If she didn’t, then her baby sister would end up with a life like hers had been. She would do whatever she could to spare her that kind of heartache. Neil sounded exactly like Boone.

Look where that had gotten her.

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